SD Man Pleads No Contest In Hutterite Dispute

A man accused of using a front-end loader to chase a security guard at a Hutterite colony in South Dakota has pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge and been given a suspended jail term.

22-year-old Raymond Waldner, of Stratford, originally was charged with felony aggravated assault in the April incident. That charge was dismissed in exchange for his plea to a reduced disorderly conduct count.

Waldner must pay $175 in fines and fees and spend six months on probation.

The Hutterite colony in Brown County has two factions that are at odds over which branch of the Hutterite religion to follow. Waldner was accused of driving the loader toward a security worker hired by one of the disputing factions.